Show-case.



.hw 0 9 1 L l Y L U J D E T N E T A l P M 9 1 N. u A v. Vwm IA L D LGE LWWU .ON Amm G. L D.. D.. A 6. 4 6. 4 9 7 m N De-ses Wit Invento UNITEDSTATES Patented .Tuiy 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SHOW-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,646, dated J uly11, 1905.

l Application filed November 17, 1904:. Serial No. 233,133.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Florence, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Alabama,have invented a new and useful Show-Case, of which the following is aspeciication.

This invention relates to show-cases, and is designed to provideimprovements in the manner of mounting the doors thereof, and it isproposed to have the door move to the under side of the case when open,so as not to obstruct the entrance into the show case and also toobviate the necessity of the operator taking a position out of the pathof the door when opening the same, as is necessary with ordinary hingeddoors.

Another object of the invention is to insure the automatic closing ofthe door when released, in order that the case may always be closed whenit is not desired to have access to the interior thereof.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of ashowcase embodying the features of the present invention, the door beingclosed. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the door open. Fig. 3 is anenlarged horizontal detail sectional view taken through one corner ofthe case to show the guideway for the antifriction-rollers of the door.Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the manner of mountingone of the antifriction-rollers upon the door. Fig. 5 is sectional viewshowing a special application of the invention.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings.

The present case includes a base 1, which is provided at each end with aglass cover and upstanding end frame 2, which may be segmental orsubstantially semicircular in form, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of thedrawings. One longitudinal half of the case is covered by a bowedglass-covered frame 3, which is fixed in position, while the oppositelongitudinal half of the case is normally closed by the sliding door ofthe present invention. Each cross-frame of the case is provided upon itsinner face with a pair of spaced concentric flanges 4 and 5, whichextend from the top of the frame down to the bottom or base 1 of thecase, where they communicate with a longitudinal slot or opening 6,which is formed 1` through the base.

The open side of the case is normally closed by means of a slidable doorin the nature of a bowed glass-covered frame 7, which has its endsworking in guideways produced by the flanges 4 and 5, with its loweredge in alinement with the slot 6, through which the door is designed topass when being swung downward to open it. of the door is provided witha series of sockets, one of which has been shown at 8 in Fig. 4 of thedrawings, and is designed for the reception of an antifriction-roller 9,which has its peripheral edge projected at the inner and outer sides ofthe door and is retained in place by an arcuate metal strip 10, securedto the edge of the door, so as to close the series of notches and alsoconstitute bearings for the outer journals of the rollers. As clearlyindicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the rollers engage the flanges 4and 5, so as to prevent lateral play of the door and at the same timeinsure an easy movement thereof in an upright direction through theguideway. The bottom rail 11 of the door normally projects downwardlythrough the slot or opening 6, and a counterweight 12 is connectedthereto, so as to yieldably maintain the door closed. This counterweightis in the nature of an arm which is pivotally hung from one end of theboxing 13, which surrounds the base 1, said pivotal support beingindicated at 14. An arm 15 extends laterally from the upper end of thecounterweight and is connected to the rear side of the rail l1, asindicated at 16,

Each end edge of the frame IOO there being an arcuate brace 17 extendingfrom the outer end of the arm 15 to the lower end of the counterweight12.

The normally closed condition of the case is shown in Fig. 1, thelcounterweight being substantially in an upright position with the toprail 18 of the door in contact with the stationary top rail 19 of thefixed glass frame 3, whereby the upward movement of the door is limited.In opening the door a finger is engaged with a socket or seat 20, one ineach upright frame portion of the door, and the door drawn downwardly tothe position shown in Fig. 2. whereby the door is slid down beneath thebottom of the case, which may be supported upon a suitablev counter orupon leg-standards 21. The downward movement of the door is limited bythe counterweight 12 coming into contact with the bottom of the case. Itis of course necessary to hold the door in its open position, as theweight thereof is overbalanced by the counterweight 12, so that when thedoor is released the counterweight automatically returns the door to itsclosed condition without manual manipulation thereof.

A very important feature of the present device resides in the fact thatthe door constitutes a part only of the top of the case and is movabledownwardly across the bottom of the doorway instead of inwardly acrossthe other side of the case, which would obstruct the view through. saidother side.

If desired, a supplemental glass-covered case 22 may be supported uponthetop of the upright cross-frames of the lower case.

A particular application of the present invention has been shown in Fig.5 of the drawings, wherein 23 designates a case having a flatglass-covered top 24: and a glass-covered back frame 25, which ispreferably in the nature of a horizontally-slidable door having atongue-and-groove connection with the top .and bottom of the case, thefront of the case being bowed, as at 26, and equipped with a bowedslidable glass top 27 mounted and arranged precisely as hereinbeforeshown and described for the form illustrated in Figs. 1

to 4, inclusive. The bottom 28 of the case constitutes the top of thecounter 29, upon which the case is supported, and the top of the counteror the base of the case is provided with a longitudinal slot 30, throughwhich the slidable door 27 is designed to work. A counterweight-arm 31is fulerumed at its upper end upon one end of the counter, as at 32, andhas a brace 33 extending from the upper end .ofthe arm to the lower railofthe slidable door, there being an arcuate brace 34 extending betweenthe outer end of the arm 33 and the lower end of the counterweight. Itwill herev be explained that the slidable door is at the front of thecounter, and this arrangement of case has been especially designed forcontaining and exhibiting cigars, tobacco, and` the like, whereby acustomer may have access to the interior of the case for selectingwhatever cigars or other articles he may prefer. In this connection itis proposed to provide for opening the door from the back of thecounter, one embodiment of the invention consisting in a rope or otherflexible connection 35, secured, as at 36, to the lower end of thecounterweight and passed upwardly and rearwardly therefrom through aguide 37, carried by the back portion of the counter, from which therope depends, and is provided with a suitable handlei 38. Upon pullingrearwardly upon the handle 38 the slidable door will be drawn downbeneath the bottom of the case, `thereby opening the front thereof forthe convenience of a purchaser in selecting any article from theinterior of the case.

In selecting cigars it is customary for the salesman to pick up ahandful of cigars out of the case and place the same upon the topthereof in order that the customer may select one or more cigars; butthis method is objectionable in that the removing and replacing of thecigars injures the same to acertain extent and they frequently becomemisplaced in returning them to the case. 'Ihese objections are fullyovercome by the embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 5, as eachcustomer is given direct access to the interior of the case for theselection of cigars or other articles therefrom without removing aquantity of the cigars and then returning those which are not purchased.Moreover, by having the door 27 move downwardly across the bottom of thedoorway the opening of said door does not obstruct access to the casethrough the back thereof when the part 25 is a door, and neither does itobstruct the View through the back and top of the case when the door 27is open.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A show-casecomprising a base having a longitudinal opening adjacent one edgethereof, upstanding cross-frames carried by the base and provided uponadjacent faces with corresponding substantially arcuate guideways, and abowed door having its end portions worling in the guideways with oneside registering with the slot in the base and capable of movementdownwardly therethrough when the cover is being opened.

2. A show-case comprising a base having a longitudinal opening adjacentone edge thereof, upstanding cross-frames carried by the base andprovided upon adjacent faces with corresponding arcuate guideways, and abowed door having its end portions working in the guideways with oneside registering with the slot in the base and capable of movementdownwardly therethrough. when the door is being opened, and acounterweight connected to the door to automatically lreturn the same toits normal closed position.

IOO

.Iso

3. A show-case comprising a base having a longitudinal opening adjacentone edge thereof, upstanding cross-frames carried by the base andprovided upon adjacent faces with corresponding arcuate guideways,and abowed door having its end portions working in the guideways with oneside registering with the slot in the base and capable of movementdownwardly therethrough when the door is being opened, a substantiallyradial counterweight-arm connected to the door and fulcrutnedindependently thereof.

4. A show-case comprising a base having a longitudinal opening adjacentone edge thereof, upstanding cross-frames carried by the base andprovided upon adjacent faces with corresponding bowed guideways, and abowed door having its end portions working in the guideways with oneside registering with the slot in the base and capable of movementdownwardly therethrough when the door is being opened, a substantiallyradial counterweight-arm connected to and projected inwardly from thedoor and fulcrumed independently thereof, and a brace member pendentfrom the door` and connected to the counterweight-arm.

5. A show-case comprising a base having a longitudinal slot adjacent oneedge thereof, u pstanding cross-frames carried by the base and providedupon adjacent faces with corresponding arcuate guideways, and a boweddoor having its end portions working in the guideways with one sideregistering with the slot in the base and capable of movement downwardlytherethrough when the door is being opened, and a stop member carried bythe door for engagement with the base to limit the opening movement ofsaid cover.

6. A show-case comprising a base, upright cross-frames carried by thebase and provided upon their inner sides with corresponding arcuateguideways, the base being provided with a longitudinal slot atcorresponding ends of the guideways, a bowed door having its endsworking in the respective guideways, each end of the door being providedwith a series of recesses, antifriction-rollers located in the recessesand projected at opposite sides of the door to run within the adjacentguideway, and arcuate bars secured to the ends of the door to close therecesses and constitute supports for the antifriction-rollers, one edgeof the door working through the longitudinal slot in the base.

7. A show-case comprising a base having a longitudinal slotadjacentonevedge thereof, upstanding cross-frames carried by the base andprovided with corresponding arcuate guideways, a bowed door having itsend portions working in the guideways with one side registering with theslot in the base and capable of movement downwardly therethrough, and acounterweight fulcrumed beneath the base of the case and connected tothe door.

8. A show-case comprising a base having a longitudinal slot, uprightcross-frames carried by the base and provided with corresponding arcuateguideways leading to the slot, a bowed door having its end portionsworking in the guideways and its lower edge projected through the slotin the base, and a counterweight pivotally hung beneath the base andconnected to the lower projected edge of the door.

9. A show-case comprising a base, upstanding cross-frames carried bythel base and provided with corresponding arcuate guideways, a boweddoor having its end portions working in the guideways and movabledownwardly below the base.

10. A show-case comprising a base, upstanding cross-frames carried bythe base and provided with corresponding arcuate guideways, a bowed doorhaving its end portions working in the guideways and movable downwardlybeneath the base, and a counterweight hung below the base independentlyof the door and connected thereto to yieldably maintain the door in itsclosed position.

11. A show-case having an arched front which is provided with a doorway,an arched door normally closing the doorway and capable of being sliddownwardly across the bottom of the doorway beneath the bottom of thecase, and means for opening the door from the back of the case.

12. A show-case having doors at the front and the back thereof, thefront door opening downwardly beneath the bottom of the case, and meansat the back of the case for opening the front door.

13. A show-case having doorways in the front and the back thereof, ahorizontal slidable door for the back doorway, a verticallyslidable doorfor the front doorway and capable of opening downwardly beneath thebottom of the case, and means at the back of the case for opening thefront door.

14. A show-case having a doorway in the back thereof and also providedwith an arched front having a doorway, a door for the back doorway, anarched door for the front doorway and capable of being slid downwardlyacross the bottom of the front doorway beneath the case, and means foropening the front door from the back of the case.

15. A show-case having corresponding upright arcuate guideways at thefront thereof,

' a bowed door working in the guideways and capable of movementdownwardly beneath the bottom of the case, a counterweight connected tothe door and pivotally supported beneath the bottom of the caseindependently of the door, and means connected to the counterweight andaccessible at the back of the case for opening the door.

16. A show-case having corresponding upright arcuate guideways at thefront thereof, a bowed door having its end portions work- IOO IIO

ingl in the guideways and capable of move- In testimony that I claim theforegoing; as ment downwardly and beneath the case, a my own I havehereto affixed my signature in I0 counterweight connected to the doorand pivthe presence of two witnesses.

otally supported beneath the case, a guide 1oeated at the back of theoase, and a flexible CHARLES A' SULLIVAN' controlling device connectedto the counter- Witnesses:

weight Cmd engaging the guide, whereby the P. I. PRICE,

door may be opened from the back of the oase. S. B. KEY.

